GEAR UP

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is college access programs at various high schools that helps students successfully graduate from high school and enroll in college. GEAR UP currently supports students in their junior and senior years of high school. If you attend a GEAR UP high school and are a junior or senior, you are automatically part of the program.

GEAR UP Alliance

The Chicago GEAR UP Alliance, composed of educational and community-based organizations, partners with the Chicago Public Schools' Office of College and Career Preparation, to use its members' considerable talent and knowledge to raise student achievement and increase access and participation in postsecondary education for Chicago students. Those organizations are:

• Chicago Education Alliance
  • Northeastern Illinois University,
  • The University of Chicago,
  • DePaul University,
  • Loyola University,
  • National-Louis University,
  • Roosevelt University
  • and Truman College
• Children’s Memorial Hospital 
• New Concepts Mentor Connection 
• North Lawndale Learning Community 
• Youth Guidance 

Program Objectives 

• ?Increase the academic performance and preparation for post-secondary education for 10,295 GEAR UP students?.
• Increase the rate of high school graduation and participation in post-secondary education for 10,295 GEAR UP students.
• ?Increase 10,295 GEAR UP students and their families’ knowledge of post-secondary education options, preparation, and financing.  

Program Components 

• AVID Program Assistance
• Student Development Workshops  
• What’s Next Illinois & Naviance postsecondary Lab Work
• Content tutoring  
• Create and plan College Fairs and Tours
• Saturday school recovery including early credit assistance  
• Summer programs  
• College readiness programs  
• Parent programs  
• Teacher professional development  

Program Benefits  

• Creates a social context for collaborative learning, performance-based assessments, and work experiences
• Develops opportunities for rigorous academic preparation
• Develops opportunities for the creation of knowledge and inquiry in the school and community
• Supports student learning by enhancing students’ engagement in the creation of their own knowledge  
• Increases student and parent awareness of post-secondary education and career options to promote college attendance